01/14/18 Amazing

READING: Review Genesis 12-29

“Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”

Genesis 28:14

This past week’s reading began with God’s calling Abram from Ur of the Chaldees (“Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” [Gen. 12:1]) and ended with Jacob and Leah’s giving birth to Judah (“And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, ‘This time I will praise the Lord.’ Therefore she named him Judah” [Gen. 29:35])—from whom would come Jesus the Messiah. The God of these stories is the God who has a plan, fulfills His plan, and keeps His Word for His glory.

I have read the Bible many times, and the story never gets old. Sin and arrogance led to separation and death, but God raised up a people who carried His name. They were hardly perfect—they lied, deceived, judged, and fought—but that’s part of the point: God used imperfect people to work His perfect plan to bring redemption to sinners. Somewhere in a Mesopotamian city centuries ago, the God of eternity spoke to a man whose offspring would eventually touch the globe in our day. And, that story of grace reached even me in Mason, Ohio, some forty+ years ago, and my life has never been the same. That’s mind-blowing to me.

But then again, that’s God. He is worthy of our praise.

ACTION STEPS:

On this Lord’s day, think about all the ways God has accomplished His plan in your life.

Sing His praises loudly today if you are gathering with your local church.

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@clawlessjr

Daily Devotional

As Dr. Lawless does his daily Bible reading in 2017, he sends these devotional comments to accountability partners. This year, he is focusing on spiritual warfare in the Bible. If you would like to receive these short, daily devotionals, enter your email below to subscribe.